Living in sunny South Florida is truly a dream. You have access to the gorgeous beaches and have year-round sunny weather. However, this wet and warm environment is not just loved by humans, it’s also loved by mold. Mold loves to secretly grow in our homes, usually in areas that are harder to spot such as under pipes and carpers or inside vents. This makes it hard to spot, allowing it to grow for a while before we can even get it tested. One of the easiest ways to figure out if you need a mold testing expert to come on out is to pay close attention to a few common signs of mold in the home. Signs such as worsened allergy symptoms, itchiness, and a musky odor throughout the home. If you notice any of these then it’s best to get your home checked. Mold can cause some serious damage to your home and your health when left untreated for long, making it that much more important to have professionals, such as our team at Tri-County Restoration, Inc., come on out to take a look.
What Is Mold Testing?
Mold testing is essentially the test used by professionals to determine if your home is home to mold. The mold test will be able to tell you if you have mold, what kind of mold it is, and if the mold can continue to grow in the area it was found. All of the things will give you peace of mind and if you do have mold, will help us know how to accurately treat it. This test is very important to get done as soon as you have suspicions of mold. The reason being is that mold is very harmful to your health and your home. Living with mold for an extended amount of time can affect your respiratory system, increasing your risk of infections, giving you cough, or seeing you consistently wheezing. This is the average situation, too. Those with weakened immune systems or who are consistently exposed to mold may develop a fever or shortness of breath. Another thing to keep in mind is how quickly mold grows. It develops fast, only causing more damage to you and your home. Using the “out of sight, out of mind” mindset is not going to help in this situation.
How is the Test Performed?
The mold test is performed usually one in two ways. It’s either done by taking an air sample or by taking a surface sample. Sometimes mold is hidden and difficult to find, making an air sample an easier way of determining if it’s there. But for the more obvious cases of mold, a surface sample may be better.
The Air Sample
This test is done by taking air samples via a spore trap. The way this is done is basically by using a sticky surface and waiting for a certain amount of air to pass over it and into the spore trap sampling device. Mold spores are commonly being carried around in the air, invisible to the naked eye. Because of this, they are bound to stick to a sticky surface as more air passes over. The spore trap will then be sent to a lab where someone will test it for mold. Once it has been determined to be mold and classified as the specific kind of mold, our team at Tri-County Restoration, Inc. will be able to assist you in getting rid of it.
The Surface Sample
Unlike the air sample, the surface sample test usually varies between a few different types. There are bulk samples, swab samples, and tape samples. Surface sampling is much more to the point as the area with the mold has most likely be discovered. The bulk sample method will have part of the suspected mold removed and sent to the lab. A swab sample will see a cotton swab rubbed onto the mold to collect a sample, and then sent to the lab. Lastly, the tape method will do the same thing as the swab method but with tape. Then, at the lab, we will be able to examine it and test it for more information.
Whether you know you have a mold problem or think you have a mold problem, we are here for you. When it comes to mold it is always better to be safe rather than sorry. Having our team come on out will be able to give you peace of mind if it isn’t mold, and assist you if it is mold. Either way, wouldn’t you rather know before your home or health is potentially further damaged? To learn more about the mold test and other mold-related services Tri-County Restoration, Inc. has, give us a call today at (888) 906-0188.
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